Homemade Christmas Gifts for Friends and Neighbors

Christmas is on its way and it's time to start planning your gift ideas. If you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for your neighbors, homemade gifts are a great way to go. Homemade Christmas gifts are a great way to be personal and creative and can also help you keep a reasonable Christmas budget. So here are some of my favorite gift ideas for neighbors and friends.

Christmas Canisters - One easy Christmas gift idea is to make your own Christmas canisters. These are easy and fun to make and are great because you can personalize them however you want. Start with any kind of canister and peel off the paper covering. I like to use nut canisters because they are a great size and quick to make. Then choose any wrapping paper or scrapbook paper that you like and cut it into strips that are about 1 inch by 3 inches. Use a sponge or brush to cover the strips with mod podge and then stick them onto the canister until it is covered. Allow the canister to dry and then add another coat of mod podge over the top. You can create a lot of different looks with the canister by adding stickers or cut-outs to create the style you want.

Recipe Books - Another great Christmas gift idea that any neighbor will love is a cookbook of your favorite recipes. One year my sister collected favorite recipes from all her friends and family and then compiled them into a book that she gave out for Christmas. Everyone loved this great cooking resource because they were the recipes that everyone had already tried and loved.

Snowman Hot Chocolate - Everyone loves treats at Christmas time, and they are an easy and fun gift to give out. You can use your creativity by finding fun ways to package your treats. One idea I love is to make homemade hot chocolate and give it in a snowman jar. You fill any regular mason jar with your hot chocolate and then use white fabric and stuffing to attach a snowman head at the top. You can add any snowman decorations you want to the face and head, and then add a strip of fabric as the snowman's scarf that goes around the jar handle. This is a simple gift idea that can be given to almost anyone.

Christmas Aprons - Since Christmas is a great time for cooking and baking, a homemade Christmas apron makes a perfect gift. Aprons are very easy to make and you don't even need a pattern or great sewing skills. Start with a cute Christmas fabric and trace an apron that you like onto the back side of the fabric, drawing your line about an inch larger than your apron. Then all you need to do is make a simple hem around the edge of your cut-out fabric. You can attach the head and waist ties by choosing a matching ribbon and sewing the ends onto the fabric. This is a very quick and easy way to make something cute and homemade.

Cookie Mixes - Another fun Christmas treat idea is to make dry cookie mixes for your friends and neighbors. You can make these easily by following your favorite cookie recipe, but only combining all the dry ingredients. Then make a recipe card that tells what other ingredients to add when you are ready to make the cookies. This is a fun gift idea that allows the recipient to have the delicious taste of homemade cookies, with the ease of a cookie mix. You can easily package these cookie mixes into a Christmas canister, as described above, or any other fun holder you choose.